Justice for victims?

The international courts and tribunals in The Hague deal with some of the darkest pages of human history. Yet all too frequently the rights of the survivors of these mass atrocities – whether they be from the former Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone or the Democratic Republic of the Congo – take a back seat while courts focus on the rights of the accused and the completion of expeditious trials.

Can justice truly be served if the interests of the victims are side-lined in court?

There is a growing consensus that more needs to be done, but approaches to this issue vary considerably.

Experienced jurists working within different tribunals and in the area of criminal procedure more generally will take part in a special debate in The Hague on 13 November.

It will focus on how justice can be done to victims of serious crimes, how the problem is currently being confronted and, more importantly, how it should be addressed in the future. Is it feasible to tackle the problem within the confines of a courtroom in The Hague?